BILOXI, Mississippi - The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources voted Thursday to give Jamie Miller, the current executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources in Biloxi, the option to extend the recreational red snapper season within state waters.

The federal and state recreational red snapper season, which was nine days long, ended June 9.

By a 3-0 vote, the CMR, said Miller has the right to extend the recreational red snapper season in state waters on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only during the month of July.

"We only had three members present at the meeting," said CMR member Jimmy Taylor. "So it was a 3-0 vote to allow the director (Miller) to do a July season on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. Basically, that's the same thing that Alabama is doing. I think it's a step in the right direction for us to gain control of our industry."

Since the Mississippi Sound features mainly shallow-water and federal waters begins three-miles south of the barrier islands, the decision for the extended season isn't likely to have much of an impact due to limited areas to fish for red snapper, which are generally found around deep-water oil rigs, reefs and wrecks.

In comparison, the water reaches deeper depths off the immediate beachfront in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

"So many of the other states have already gone non-compliant with the federal government on red snapper," Taylor said. "We (Mississippi) have a few places, but not too many spots where you can catch red snapper. But this was the right thing to do."

One measure where the July extension would be beneficial in the future is to extend state waters out an additional six miles past the barrier islands.

That would allow recreational anglers to fish and harvest red snapper around the deep-water fish haven reefs south of Horn and Ship islands that are located in 40-plus feet of water.

"That (extended the boundary) didn't come up," Taylor said. "But we are working on that now. Most of us (CMR) would like to see the state control the waters right out to 10-miles. This would give the anglers access to the reefs built by the Gulf Fishing Banks.

"I know what we have now is not working. We gave the director the right to open it and I think he will."